Chapter 35:

The Cat God's Game (7)

A Kat's (GOD AWFUL!!!) Blessing


Maria escorted Kat to the tailor shop, where Kat’s mom’s car was parked out front.

“Good timing,” Kat said. “Looks like she’s getting ready to go out for a job.”

Kat ran up to the front entrance of the shop.

“Look, you’re expecting waaay too much out of me!” Ludwig complained. “I’m just a cat! I can’t be a clerk!”

“You’re a talking cat!” Kat’s mom argued. “I’m not asking much! If someone comes to pick something up, take the slip of paper they handed you, type in the symbols onto the computer here, and point them to the rack so they can grab it themselves! And if someone comes to drop something off, tell them I’m out and to come again tomorrow! It’s easy!”

Ludwig sprawled out on his back across the counter. “Nnnngh. That sounds like a lot of work. Can’t Kat do it?”

“You know she’s busy with her challenge right now! You’re the only one who can do it!”

Sitting up, Ludwig spotted Kat at the doorway. “But she’s right there.”

Kat’s mom turned around, noticing Kat.

“Hey, mom,” Kat said. “You going somewhere?”

“Luanne,” she said. “And this lazy cat’s being stubborn about watching the shop.”

“Hey! You never had me watch the shop when you went out before and things worked out then!” Ludwig argued.

“But you couldn’t talk to humans back then! Now you can! That means no more free meals!”

Ludwig pouted. “Man, who knew learning how to speak human came with these kinds of responsibilities.” He went over to the keyboard on the computer and started tapping away at the keys, trying to get used to his new job.

Kat’s mom sighed in frustration. “You taking a break?” she asked Kat.

“Yeah. For lunch for the next hour.”

“Hrmm. That’s no good,” she said, crossing out the idea of asking Kat to take over for Ludwig. “Not your lunch break, I mean!” she said after realizing she spoke aloud. “A-anyway, there’s leftover baked fish from last night in the fridge. Help yourself. Sorry I can’t stick around.”

“Um!” Kat said, stopping her mom. “There’s something I gotta tell you.”

“What is it?” Kat’s mom asked.

At last, Kat sat her mom down and explained the repercussions of the challenge, with Maria coming in and adding details in regards to the contract.

“You sold your soul?!” Kat’s mom yelled.

Kat winced. “Not exactly! Just… I’ll have to work for The Cat God for eternity if I lose this challenge.”

Kat soon found herself on the ground. Her mom had her pinned in a headlock. “What’s the difference?!” she shouted.

Desperate for air, Kat tapped out. She was quickly released.

“Why would you just go and accept a bet like that?! Especially without reading the details of the contract?!” her mom continued.

“It was verbal!” Kat yelled.

Her mom bonked her on the head. “Always get it in writing!”

“I did!” Kat argued.

“Yeah! After you already agreed to it!” her mom shouted, bonking her on the head again.

“You said you wouldn’t be mad at me if I came to you for help!”

“I’m not mad!”

“You sure as heck don’t sound not mad!”

“That’s…” her mom thought for a moment, counting the double negatives in her daughter’s sentence. Then she realized yelling at Kat was a fool's errand. “This is getting us nowhere.”

With that, Kat’s mom started marching out of the shop.

“Where’re you going?” Kat asked.

“To Pops! I’m gonna go talk to that slimy god and tell em the contract’s off!”

“Don’t make it worse!” Kat shouted. She quickly grabbed her mom’s arm, holding her back.

Kat’s mom grabbed the doorframe to the shop, slowly pulling herself forward. “It won’t hurt to ask!”

“It won’t work,” Mr. Keensley said, standing in front of the shop.

Kat’s mom lost her grip on the doorframe in surprise, sending both her and Kat crashing back into the store.

“What do you mean?” Kat’s mom asked, still laying on top of her daughter.

“I’ve been giving the contract a look over since the other night when I got a copy from Maria,” he said.

Seeing the contract in Mr. Keensley’s hand, Kat’s mom shot up and yanked it from him. “You sure did a number on this,” she remarked, squinting at the already tiny type that had become almost illegible due to the numerous notes made all over it.

“Gotta hand it to the gods to make as detailed of a contract like this one. Whatever lawyer they got upstairs sure knows what they’re doing.”

“But what you said about canceling the contract…” Kat’s mom said.

Mr. Keensley shook his head. “Only way for the contract to be nullified is if the apocalypse were to occur during the middle of the challenge, or if one of the members of the contract were to perish.”

Kat gulped.

“So, what? You’re saying I’m gonna have to watch my daughter sell herself off to some cat for eternity?”

“Only if she fails to capture its tail by sunset tomorrow,” Mr. Keensley said.

“And look how good of a job she’s done so far accomplishing that! It’s been almost a week and she’s been failing miserably!”

Kat winced. “Don’t have to rub salt in the wounds, Mom.”

“Sorry, sweetie. I love you, but you are failing miserably.”

Maria stepped forward. “Is there nothing we can do to help?”

Kat sighed. “If the contract is as airtight as Mr. Keensley says it is, then I bet there’s some dumb clause saying you can’t.”

Hearing that, Mr. Keensley smirked. “There isn’t a contract that exists without some sort of loophole.”

Everyone’s heads turned; their attention was grabbed.

“I’ve gone through the contract several times, and despite constantly bringing up both The Cat God and Kat, it never once mentions outside assistance in regards to the challenge.”

“You mean…” Kat said.

“We can help?” Maria asked.

Mr. Keensley nodded.

“That’s fantastic!” Kat’s mom cheered. “Let’s go grab that sucker and hold him down so Kat can grab its stupid tail!”

“Hold on there,” Mr. Keensley said. “As we’ve seen with Kat this past week, rushing The Cat God won’t do us any good. We’re going to need a plan, and a lot more assistance.” He turned his head. “Shelly?”

Mrs. Keensley appeared like a ninja. “Yes, dear?” she asked.

“Send out an alert to everyone. I’m calling for an emergency town meeting for this evening.”

“Roger,” she said before vanishing seemingly into thin air.

“Elli. You and Maria come with me. Kat, you keep The Cat God busy away from town so he won’t notice the congregation.”

The three of them nodded.

“What about me?” Ludwig asked.

“Watch the shop,” Kat’s mom said as everyone left to do their part.

Ludwig slouched. He got caught up in the excitement and wanted to go with them and help. But the more he thought about it, he was fine with just hanging back instead.

“Guess I’ll keep practicing this thing,” he said, turning his attention back to the computer.